Device for disposing of ejected cartridge cases



July 28, 1953 F. c. EAsTMAN DEVICE FOR DISPOSING OF EJECTED CARTRIDGE CASES Filed Nov. is,

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor DEVICE FoR DIsPosING 0E EJECTED CARTRIDGE cAsEs July 28, 1953 F. c. EASTMAN 2 Sheeizs-Sheei'I 2 Filed NOV.

lzvenior Fred @Eastman Patented `uy 28,1953 ,s

TENT

UNITED 'I' DEVICE FOR DISPOSING OF EJECTED CARTRIDGE CASES Application November 19, 1947, Serial N o. 786,975

aolaims. (C1. ssi- 33) This invention relates to 4ordnance and is illus- :trated as embodied in a device for disposing of `cartridge cases ejected from automatic guns of smallcaliber.

L The disposal of empty cartridge cases, which have been ejected from automatic guns mounted in turrets and other conned portions of airplanes, has been a problem because of the fact that the empty cartridge cases cannot be dropped from the airplane during its flight without the danger o being engaged by the propellers or other parts of the airplane.

It is an object oi the present invention to provide means for receiving cartridge cases ejected fro-m automatic guns mounted in an airplane and for conveying them to a suitable depository in the airplane remote from the guns.

The invention will be illustrated herein with reference to the Well-known .50 caliber Browning machine gun but is equally applicable to guns of medium caliber. Furthermore, disposal means of the type illustrated herein may be used with automatic machinery suc-h as produces or operates upon elongated articles which are successively ejected from the machine and which, in order to avoid stoppage of and/or to insure against the operator being injured by the machine, it is desirable to convey to depositories remote from the machine.

With the foregoing considerations in View, the invention in its broader aspect resides in mechanism for disposing of elongated articles, which are successively and forcibly ejected from an automatic machine, by conveying said articles to a place remote from the machine. Such mechanism comprises a conduit having a trough-shaped portion or end, which is located adjacent to a place of ejection of the article from the machine, for receiving said article, and a terminal end remote from the machine.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, a buffer is arranged at the receiving end of the trough-shaped portion of the conduit for limiting ejecting movement of the article, and rotatable thrust members are located at opposite sides of the trough-shaped portion of the conduit at positions less distant from the buler than the length of the article, said members having diverging frusto-conical surfaces, which are initially positioned a predetermined distance apart, for eiecting entry of the trailing end'of the article between them, and means for moving the article engaging portions of said surfaces rapidly toward the terminal end of the conduit to impart to the article disposed in the trough-shaped portion of `the conduit, suiiicient velocity to propel said article to the terminal end of said conduit.

When used for disposing of empty cartridge cases ejected from a gun, the trough-shaped portion of the conduit is located beneath an ejection opening of the gun, the buffer in the troughshaped portion being shaped and arranged to limit ejecting movement of the empty cases, and .the thrust members having case engaging portions of their diverging frusto-conical surfaces moving toward the terminal end of the conduit vfor receiving between them the rear ends of the cartridge cases and for imparting to the cases velocity sufficient to cause said cases to be propelled to the terminal end of the conduit. As illustrated the aforesaid rotatable thrust inembers are bodily yieldable relatively to each other to insure continuous engagement of the thrust members with the tapering cartridge cases as said cases pass between the members. Entry of the ejected cartridge case between the thrust members is facilitated by stops which, when the members are inactive, hold them a minimum distance from each other, such distance being adjustable.

The illustrative thrust members have the form of rubber covered frusto-conical rolls which are arranged at opposite sides of the trough-shaped portion of the conduit and are rotatable about axes extending generally heightwise thereof but inclined slightly toward the rear end of said trough-shaped portion, the case engaging portions of the frusto-conical surfacesof said rolls being rotated in directions to draw the `cartridge case then in engagement with the buffer into the trough-shaped portion of the conduit and to propel it with considerable force toward the terminal end of said conduit. More than one pair of said rolls may be, and as illustrated, are employed to insure that the cases shall be eiectively transferred to the terminal end of the conduit.

The various features of the invention will be understood and appreciated from the following detail description read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a Vertical section through a lower portion of a fairing of an airplane showing in side elevation a lower portion of a gun and a device for disposing of empty cartridge cases ejected from the gun;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cartridge case disposing device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and i are sections on lines III-III and .IV-IV respectively of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a section on line V-V of Fig. 2.

The invention is illustrated withreference to the disposal of empty cartridge cases 20 (Fig. l)

successively and forcibly ejected from a .50 caliber gun 22 which is mounted for movement in azimuth and elevation upon a hollow support (not shown) forming part of and projecting forwardly from a fuselage of an airplane. In such a construction the empty cartridge cases 2li after their ejection cannot safely be dumped through a chute directly into space because of the danger of the cases striking airplane parts, such. for ex ample, as propellers (not shown) which are commonly arranged at opposite sides of the fuse! lage.

In order to reduce wind resistance of the airplane to a minimum and toprotect the gun 22, said gun has secured to it a bulb-.shaped fairing 26 operatively connected to the projecting support by a zone of nested rings forming an articulated fairing which serves as a cover for training mechanism for the gun.

The empty cartridge cases are ejected downward and forward from the gun 22 through an opening 32 (Fig. 1) at the bottom of a receiver 34 of the gun, said cases being inclined at an angle such as shown in Fig. 1 during their ejecting movement; Movement of each of the ejected cartridge cases 2B toward the forward end of the gun is arrested by engagement of the forward or open ends of the cases with -a concave face 36 (Figs. 1 and 2) of an impact absorbing buier 'or pad 38, the rear end of which is made -of rubber and the forward end of which is made-oi steel and is secured by a screw 40 to a troughshaped forward or receiving end 42 of a conduit 44. The conduit 44 is secured to a bracket 45 (Fig. 1) of the fairing 2S by bolts 46 and has its trough-shaped end i2 arranged opposite and 'adjacent to the opening 32 of the gun. A delivery or terminal end 45 (Fig. 1) of the conduit which is remote from the gun extends into the gun support from which the empty cases are removed after the airplane has grounded. In describing the conduit 44 a dimension extending between a cartridge receiving open portion of the conduit and the bottom of the conduit will be defined vas extending heightwise of the conduit.

k'The'trough-shaped end 42 of the conduit fad, except for cut away portions which will be referred to later, ishigh sided as best shown in Fig. 1, the portion of the conduit which extends rearward from line V-V or" Fig. 2 and may be defined as the cylindrical or tube portion of the conduit, being' of circular cross section.y The portion of the conduit just forward of line lll-V ares upward forming a deecting surface 5@ (Figs. 1 and 2) and arranged just forward *of said surface are laterally iiared side wall surfaces 52 (Fig. 2).. Sides of the conduit 44 adjacent to the deiecting surface have formed in them openings 34 for receiving frusto-conical rolls or thrust members, 55, 56a (Fig. 2) which are continuously driven in directions 58, B lrespectively by mechanism which will be described later.

Arranged at opposite sides of the troughshaped portion d2 of the conduit 4s in notches 62 (Figs. l and 2) are continuously driven frustoconical rolls or thrust members E4 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4), 64a (Figs. 2 and 4) which are ci the same height as rolls 5S, 56a and are rotatable in directions 66, 68 (Fig. 2) respectively and are supported for rotation by mechanism which will be described later.

At the time the cartridge case 20 normally engages the face 36 of the rubber buier 38, as shown in dash lines (Fig. l), its rear end engages or is dropping toward spaced opposing portions i0 (Fig. 4) of the frusto-conical surfaces of rolls 64, 64a which at that time are spaced a sufficient distance apart to grip the case, said rolls thereafter moving yieldingly equal distances in opposite directions about an axis 'l2 (Fig. 1) of a drive shaft 'I4 (Figs. 1, 3, and 4) while the case, as experimentation has demon- 4 strated, is drawn down between the rolls, until said case engages a strip portion 16 of the bottomv of the trough-shaped portion 42 of the conduit 44. As the case 20 is drawn toward the bottom of the trough-shaped portion 42 of the conduct 44, it moves rearward, the case, before being disengaged by the rolls B4, 64a being forced between and gripped by the frusto conical rolls 56, 56a which also swing yieldingly away from each other about the axis 'l2 of the drive shaft 'i4 under the rearward action of the case (see dotted line position of the casein Fig. 2). t has been found that the cartridge cases 20 sometimes engage the rolls B4, 64a before engaging the buffer 38 and when this occurs the front end of the empty case -moves down into engagement with the trough-shaped portion of the conduit as the oase vstarts back under the action of the rolls, the rear end of the case thereafter being drawn down by the rolls It will be understood .that although the illustrative rolls are lcovered with rubber they may be made of or Vcovered with fiber or various other materials. Movement of opposing case engaging portions '18 (Fig. 2)l 0i the frusto-conical rolls 56, 56a generally rearward of the conduit 44 causes the cases 2i)l to be forced or propelled rearward with considerable speed, the delecting faces 5t, 52 of the conduit facilitating, if necessary, the guiding cf the cases into the cylindrical portion of the conduit. The 'speeds vof different heightwise vportions of the frusto-conical surfaces of the rolls 5S, 56a is slightly greater than that of corresponding heightwise portions ofthe frusto-conical surfaces of rolls 64, 64a.

Whenever the gun 22 is Vpointed toward the ground, and accordingly the cases 2) have to be raised against the action of gravity, the eases may not be thrown one by one along the entire length of the cylindrical portion of the conduit 'andi-rom the terminal end of said conduit (it, the cases under such conditions extendingend against end in thev conduit. It will be understood, however, that the propelling force or" the rolls 56, 56a and E4, 464a is sufficient to force the string o f empty cartridge cases in the conduit,

(Figs. `l, 8 and 4) carried by'pairs of inner and outer yokes 84, Elia supported for pivotal movement upon the shaft i-i which is rotatable in bearings Bit (Fig. l) mounted inthe brackets 45.

Secured to the shafts Sii, ifa are worm gears SD, Sila meshing with worms 92, 92a pinned to the drive shaft i4 which has secured to its forward end a bevel gear $4 (Fig. l) meshing with .a bevel geariSG ixed to a: shaft E8 of a motor 'its belted to one of the brackets 45. Each of the yokes 84,

84a has a pair of spaced depending ears Hl? (Fig. i) 462e, (Figs.4 1 and 4) pivotally connected 'through a pin #04, i840. and 'links itt?, 1661i' to a `pin i138, |9812 carried by Aa bifureated end of a lever `I It, lita, the lever l #im being fulcrurned on a pin, l im carried bythe fairing. yThe levers l l0,

Ha are continuously urged upward by springs H, -l-fa, upward movement of the lever Hua acted on by the spring Hdd being limited 'by an Aadjustable `vscrew or, stop 'fia which is engaged by a lugl Ha of' the iefver Hua.A no cartridge cases 26 are being ejected the rolls S5, 56a,

64, 64a. are in their positions shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the lug l iSa of the lever l lila being forced against the screw 16a by the action of the spring I isa. Upward movement of the lever l Hl and accordingly movement of the rolls 5B, 56a toward each other is limited by mechanism corresponding to that described in connection with the rolls '54, Ma.

When a case 2E is ejected from the gun 22 through the opening S in the magazine 315, its forward or open end engages the concave face 35 of the buffer 38 thereby arresting movement of the case in a direction generally forward of the conduit M. It will be noted that the distance between the buffer 3S and the rolls til, @da is slightly less than the length of each of the cases 20, the construction and arrangement being such that after the front end of each of the cases has engaged the buffer, the rear end of the case drops between the spaced opposing portions 'lf3 (Fig. 4) of the frusto-conical rolls f, Ella which are at that time adjusted to permit partial entry of the case between the rolls. As the case g@ engages the frusto-conical surfaces of the rolls 54, Gila, which surfaces may be said to diverge as they approach the gun 22, said rolls simultaneously draw the case down against the bottom of the trough-shaped portion 42 of the conduit 413 and toward the terminal end of said conduit. As the portions of reduced diameter of the case are engaged by the rolls 64, lilla, said rolls operating under the action of the spring Illia close in on the case thereby insuring that the case shall be effectively propelled along the trough-shaped yportion 42 of the conduit 44.

The distance between the rolls d, fida and the rolls 5S, 56a is somewhat less than the length of the case, the construction and arrangement being such that the case 2@ is well gripped between the rolls 55, 56a before being released by the rolls 64, 64a. It will be understood that the rolls 64, 64a alone may be relied upon to transfer the cases through the conduit lli into the hollow support 2t. In order, however, to insure that the cases shall be transferred effectively under all conditions of flight to the hollow support 2d the additional rolls 5%, 56a are provided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for transferring articles successively and forcibly ejected through an opening of a machine to positions remote from the machine, comprising a conduit having a portion arranged adjacent to said opening for successively receiving said articles and a terminal end remote from said machine, a resilient buifer which is positioned at the receiving portion of the conduit and which engages the front ends of the ejected articles and absorbs the impacts 0f said articles as Well as substantially stops ejecting movement of said articles, spaced rotatable members located at opposite sides of the conduit and spaced length- Wise of the conduit from the buffer a less distance than the lengths of the articles, said members having conical surfaces which diverge as they approach the machine and which are shaped and arranged to receive the rear end of each of the articles substantially simultaneously with the engagement of the front end of such article with the buffer, opposed portions of said conical surfaces being moved rapidly toward the terminal end of the conduit to draw the articles into the conduit and simultaneously therewith to propel them with considerable force in a direction substantially diiferent from the direction in which they are ejected through the opening of the machine and rear ends rst toward the terminal end of the conduit, and power means for operatingr said members.

2. A device for disposing of empty cartridge cases successively ejected through an opening of an automatic gun, comprising a conduit having a receiving end arranged adjacent to said opening of the gui and a terminal end remote from the gun, a resilient buffer which is positioned at the receiving end of the conduit and is constructed and arranged to be engaged by the front end of the empty case and which substantially stops ejecting movement of said cartridges, members which are arranged at opposite sides of the conduit and are spaced lengthwise of the conduit from the buffer, said members having moving surfaces which diverge as they approach the gun and are adapted to receive between them the base portion of a case substantially simultaneously with the engagement of the front end of the case with the buffer and to impart sufficient velocity to the case toward the terminal end of the conduit and in a direction substantially diiferent from the direction in which the cartridge is ejected through the opening in the gun and base portion rst to eject the case through and out of the terminal end of the conduit, power means for operating said members, and means for causing said members to yield under pressure as units away from each other to admit the cases between them and to insure continuous transferring engagement of said members with the cases.

3. A device for disposing of empty cartridge cases successively ejected through an opening of an automatic gun, comprising a conduit having a case receiving end arranged adjacent to said opening in the gun and a terminal end remote from the gun, a buier at the case receiving end of the conduit constructed and arranged to be engaged by the open end of a case, spaced members located at opposite sides of the conduit at points less distant from the buifer than the length of the case, said members being bodily movable toward and away from each other and having surfaces that diverge as they approach the gun and are constructed and arranged to receive between them the base portions of the cases substantially simultaneoulsy with the engagement of corresponding cases with the buffer, means for effecting movement of the case-engaging portions of said surfaces in a direction toward the terminal end of the conduit at a high velocity to project the cases through the conduit to the terminal end thereof, means for yieldingly urging said members toward each other, and stops for maintaining said members spaced a predetermined distance from each other initially to receive said cases.

FRED C. EASTM'AN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,151,288 Vfaninger Mar. 21, 1939 2,167,049 Maurath et al July 25, 1939 2,385,337 Taylor Sept. 25, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 479,399 Great Britain Feb 4, 1938 

